Sunday, August 28, 2011

Probably had some of the best nights ever here in Leiden. The other day, my friend Laura and I went to a club that was having a dubstep night. At first it was a little weird because the people there were dancing strangely, or at least it looked strange to me. But, as more people showed up (and as I drank more dutch beer) I began to relax a bit. The music was amazing but it was a little slower than the dubstep I was used to. Anyway, I do highly suggest that you go to every club, musical event, and show while in Europe because the people here definitely know how to have fun.

Last night, I was treated with more awesome dubstep/techno/minimalist music, except this time it was a free outdoor concert. There was a stage set up right on a canal and everyone was dancing and drinking out on the streets of Leiden. The dj's that were there was DJ F.I.T.C.H. and DJ Sparkling Abercrombie. Yea, strange names but awesome dj's,

Sadly I forgot my camera so no pictures or videos from either of those nights but instead enjoy this picture of some dutch candy:

The left one is chocolate in the shape of a porcupine and the 3 mushrooms are my favorite. The tops of the mushroom are like gumdrops then you bite into this hard sugar stem that is filled with sugar liquid. Its soooo good.

I'll start to have videos up soon along with more pictures and more detailed accounts. But until then,

Friday, August 26, 2011

So it has been almost a week since I have written a blog and all I can say is holy crap. This is really been such an adventure so far and I have only been here for two days. But, let me tell you (whoever you are) what has been happening since I left the states in the quickest, most un-boring way possible.

-got lost in the train station looking for a cab while tripping over my luggage-bought a lot of food that was somewhat weird, somewhat good-drank a lot of beers-coffee shops ;)-made friends

I also took a tour of Leiden, which is the town I am staying in. So here are some pictures from that and I'll write another blog soon telling whoever wants to know about my experience at a dunderdub (dubstep) club.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

I have come to the point of no return. In 3 days I will begin my journey to the Netherlands and start a new chapter in my life. So, why am I not excited? I guess what is bothering me is the fact that I will be doing this by myself. As soon as I step onto that plane I will be completely alone. And I know that I will be fine and I will meet new people but its hard not to be scared. Lets face it, who wouldn't be scared? This is the first time I have ever traveled outside of the U.S.. I have never even been off the east coast let alone another country so doing this for my first time by myself has got me very nervous.

My advice to anyone who might be doing this one day is to relax. Traveling by yourself shows growth and it will help you grow as a person. It is more than okay to be nervous and scared but don't let your fears stop you from taking an opportunity like this because you might not be presented with another one like it for a long time.

In the end, this is completely worth it and I'll let you guys know how it all goes. My next post will most likely be on Wednesday during my lay over at the Dublin airport. There definitely will be videos and pictures coming as well and I promise this blog will get more exciting.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Odd jobs should be my middle name. Ever since my first job I have loved the feeling of getting a paycheck that was mine alone and being able to spend that money on whatever I wanted. Whether it be clothing or a new tattoo, my money has been well spent. However, just because I like the money part does not necessarily mean I like the working part. To be honest, I have never stayed at a job for very long. I always seem to get bored with it. And as my boredom grew with each job I began to wonder if I would ever find one that was perfect for me.

After quitting my last job of delivering a variety of newspapers everyday from 2am to 7am, I got lucky. I applied at a nearby zoo and the very next day I got the job. I would now be going to the zoo everyday to operate the kiddie rides. Working at the zoo was quite the experience. Everyday I would be greeted by a macaw that only knew how to say "hello" and then on my break I would go see the most beautiful white tiger with hypnotizing blue eyes. Each day I worked there I loved it more and more.

On my 20th birthday, my supervisor and my coworkers surprised me by getting me an ice cream cake. I was shocked especially since I had arrived to work late that day. It was such a good feeling that these people cared enough to get me a cake when they barely even knew me at that point. On that day, I realized that this job was the one odd job that I might just keep.

However, it wasn't just the free cake and the amazing animals that kept me coming back every day. The people who I worked with were strange, weird, funny, and overall extremely nice. There was this one guy who looked and acted exactly like Santa Claus. The kids loved him and after talking to him a couple of times I realized how amazing this man was. He had such a great life, from running away with his wife to join the circus in 1969 to having his own pet elephant (who sadly died last year). Meeting this strange character made me realize how people can surprise you. And most of all, meeting him, and all the other people I worked with, made me realize that I could find a place where I loved to be.

Since I am going abroad in less than a week I no longer work at the zoo. My last day was a couple of days ago and since then I have been bored out of my mind. I have never wanted to go to work so much. I guess boredom at home is a lot worse than boredom at work because at least you make money when you are bored at work.

Luckily, I'll get to work at the zoo again next summer. Looking forward to it but until then I guess I'll just be having fun in the Netherlands!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

As any young, eager traveler, I started packing for this trip months in advance. I wanted to be positive that I packed everything perfectly without forgetting a single thing. I made lists and more lists, packed and repacked, and I am finally satisfied with the clothes, shoes, and other random unimportant items that I have decided to pack. Lets face it, 4 months is a long time to be in a foreign country with limited funds and no previous knowledge of the dutch language, and being a girl I wanted to make sure I had an outfit for every occasion.

Although packing is one of the most stressful parts of getting ready for a European adventure, there are other things that have been on my mind that makes life even more stressful than it has to be. I am in a long distance relationship. My boyfriend and I started dating at school about 3 months ago. The decision to go out at this point in our lives was really difficult because (1) he lives in New York and I live in Massachusetts, and (2) we will now be even longer distance than before. One of the hardest parts of a long distance relationship that has just began is most likely the communication. Sometimes texting, calling, and skyping just isn't enough. It is easy to get frustrated and say things you don't mean, hang up on the other person, or just being honest about your personal feelings. The thing is, you must be honest to keep the relationship going. Even if you think that honesty might hurt your lover's feelings, you have to say it because it is what will keep the relationship afloat. And if you can't be honest, then maybe you shouldn't be in the relationship.

I have to say I am really lucky. My boyfriend is taking these huge changes really well and is supporting me to his fullest extent. And between you, me, and the internet, he is perfect.

This is my first time ever creating a blog but I figure now is as good of a time as any to make one. My main purpose of this is to keep my friends and family updated on my travels in Europe while I study abroad for one semester. Hopefully someone finds it helpful!

Anyway, I leave for the Netherlands on August 23rd which is when this blog will officially begin. I'll try and post videos, pictures, and entries at least once a week. I'm pretty nervous about all of this but overall I am excited and I hope whoever is reading this enjoys!

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About Me

Personally, I would love to be a writer one day. When I was younger I would always say how much I wanted to travel the world and write about my adventures. Well, I am finally going to be able to do that because this Fall I am studying abroad in the Netherlands.